Locomotive-crane.



No. 853,842. PATENTED MAY 14, 1907. G. B. TITGOMB. I

LOGOMOTIVE CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10. 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHE PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

G. B. TITGOMB. LOGOMOTIVE CRANE. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 10, 1906.

5 SHBETSSHEET 2.

842'. PATBN'IEED MAY 14, 1907.

G. B. TITGOMB.

LOGOMOTIVE CRANE. APPLICATION nLfinun. 10, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Nb.85s,s42. I PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

- G. B. TITCOMB.

LOCOMOTIVE CRANE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.10, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHBET 4'. v

7 0 9 1 4 Y A M D E m N E T A P M 0 HA M 0 G H II TTF 5 w .mn I u P A 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

I 'nrirrnn srrns GEORGE E; 'IITCOMB, OF PHILADELPl-IIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO 1 earner carries.

THE DODGE COAL S'IORAGII COMPANY, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

LUGOMOTIVE=CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Application filed January 10, 1906. Serial No. 295,489.

.To a, IU/MITJ'L it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnouon E. Ti'rconn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in laicomotivc-Cranes, of

best position for observing the results of such operation. l

A further object of, the invention is to provide a simple and. reliable device for conducting,;the electric current for operating the various motors of.the crane from the current supplyv mains it the differentcontrolling devices,- I also desire .to provide a compact and geflicient arrangenu-int of the operating mechanism of a locomotive crane, which shallfbe of such a nature to. be reliable in operation and so placed to be conveniently inspected.-

These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, in which i igure 1,is a vertical section of myinvem tion illustrating in side elevation certain of the operating mechanism and the controlling devices therefor: Fig. 2, is a plan. of the crane shown in Fig. 1, further illustratingthc -arrangelnent of the apparatus thereof; Fig. 3, is a front .elgwation-of my improved crane; Fig. his a plan View of the truck of the crane; Fig. 5, is a plan illustrating the arrangement of the foot levers for respectively operating the swing motor brake and the master con troller of the swing and hoisting motors; Fig.

6, is a vertical sec ion illustrating the preferred arrangement of the levers and shafts for operating theniaster controller for the swing and hoisting motors; Fig. 7, is a verfical section illustrating the preferred construction of the contact shoe-supporting structure, and Fig. 8, is an elevation illustrating certain features of the clutch mechanism.

In the above drawings, A represents the framework of the crane truck which co1nposed, of relatively heavy structural sections provided with hearings for the reception of a pair of axles a equipped with wheels a and preferably so proportioned as to operate on a standard gage track.

Suitably hung from the truck frame A is an electric motor B, whose armature shaft is geared to an intermediate shaft having-bevel gears 1) respectively meshing with bevel gear wheels (i -suitably fixed to the axles a. On the truck frame A is a substantially circular track a, concentric with and inside of which is an annular beveled rack a. At the, center of said rack and track is a tubular structure a fixed to the truck frame and serving as a guiding bearing for the pivot or pintle d of the crane structure proper, which consists of a framework D to whose underside is fixed a circular track (1 curved to the same radius as that of the track a and concentric therewith. Between the said two tracksd and a is a so ries of wheels or rollers (Z suitably spaced and retained in position by means of a pair of circular rings d and d Suitably mounted upon the frame D, and, in the present instance, near one end thereof,

is an electric motor E, hereafter referred i to as the swing motor, which is connected through gearing to a shaft 0 provided with a beveled. pinion 6, so placed as to mesh with the rack or. Connected with the above mentioned gearing is a friction drum 0 upon which a brake band a is operated, and this is connected through suitable mechanism to a sh aft 6 having fixed to 1th. foot lever e whereby said brake band may be operated to rctard or prevent movement of the shaft (1 after current has been cut off the motor E.

Pivotally mounted in the well known manner upon the front of the frame D is the crane boom F and for the purpose of operat- I;

ing the hoisting or lifting devicesuspended from the end of this boom and also for raisin and lowering the boom itself, a third motor is provided, which is carried by the rear 01'- tion of the frame D. The armature sha 't of this motor is geared to a shaft 9 upon which are loosely carried a. plain pinion g and a bevsuitable standards Bled pinion g By means of a clutch 9 this shaft may be made .to drive the pinion g, which meshes with a gear it fixed to the holsting shaft h, and there are upon this latter shaft a hoisting drum H anda holding drum H: thefirst of these may be operatlvely connected to said shaft by means of a clutch prevent them overhauling under the action of a load whencurrent is cut off from the motor G. Since, however this mechanism is well known to the art and does pot forma part of the present invention, it has not been shown in detail.

The bevel pinion g which is loose on the shaft 9, meshes with a similar inion i and it maybe operatively connecte to said shaft by the clutchg as shown in Fig. 8. This clutch is operated by the same mechanism as that governing the clutch g being so arranged that when an operating lever g is in its mid position both clutches are released, while movement of said lever to one side op-.

erates one clutch and its movement to the' The shaft opposite side operates the other.

extends upward at an angle toward a horizontally placed shaft J carried on the upper portion of the crane framework by means of forming an auxiliary framework D. Said shaft J has fixed to it a worm wheel j en aged by a worm/i on the shaft I, and also as a drum 1'. for the reception of the ropes whereby the boom is raised or lowered;

In order'to operate the clutch h of the holding drum H, I rovide suitable actuating means operated Tom a shaft h, which is controlled by a hand lever 71. suitably placed at the front of the crane, while the clutch h of the hoisting drum is similarly actuated from a shaft it operated by a lever h, also placed so as to be conveniently manipulated by an 'dperator at the front of the machine. 4

The clutches g and g, for respectively connecting the drum operating and boom, ho sting mechanism with the motor G, are

connected through suitable links with the shaft 9 to which is fixed the operating lever 9; it being noted that this lever, as well as the levers k and h are all arranged near the front of the crane so as to be conveniently operated by one man.

For the purpose of governing the operation of the motors E and G, I provide a single operating device constructed as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, and consisting of asuitable supporting shaft or spindle K to which is d a.-herwise fixed an arm having pivhung at its end a foot piece 76,", there being also keyed or fixed to this spindle a sec- 0nd arm connected to a bar is" attached to the handle of the master controller c, whereby 0 eration of the swing motor E is gov: erne The spindle or shaft K also loosely carries a sleeve k to which are fixed two arms In and k; the former being connected by a link it with the foot piece 70 and the latter being connected to a bar 7r attached to the maste controller 9 whereby the operation of the motor G is governed. In order to return the shaft K and its attached arts to a position corresponding to the off position of the two master control- 'lers e and g, I provide a pair of springs (not shown) contained in cylinders l and l and operative upon rods Z connected to an arm kf on said shaft K, said springs being so adjusted that they tend to turnthe shaft to its off position whenever it is moved therefrom as by the operation of the foot piece It. The motor B is'governed by means of any which is shown at, b and I provide connections from the field and armature of said motor to suitable contact fingers m in engage- -ment with the annular segments m of a contact device 'M supported on the frame D in the line of the pivot (1 thereof. -'Tl1is pivot structure, as well as the-device-M, ismade conductors for the motors E and G and their controlling apparatus. In order to supply current to these main conductors while the crane is under 0 eration, I provide along-the track N on whic the crane operates a series of posts P, on each of which is carrieda pair of metallic contacts 1) and p placed vertically over one another and respectively connected to the positive and negative current supply mains. a

For the purpose of conducting current from the contacts to the moving crane structure, I provide either one or two collecting devices, (depending on whether the contacts are laced along'one or both sides of the tree each of which preferably consists of a pair of shoes formed of anglesections and p insulated from each other as shown in Fig. 7, and carried upon a pair of links p in such manner that while free ti move toward and from the crane structure in the horizontal planes respectively intersecting the contacts pand 1), they are always moved parallel to then'iselves. I n' order that the contact shoes may be freeto automatimlly adjust themselves to the various pairs of contacts p and 1), I provide a hall and socket connection between the end of each link 1) and the vertical bar 1)' upon which the shoes 2' and p are carried. A spring contained in a cylinder acts upon the rods p and connected to arms attached to the links 1: in such manner 1 as to always tend to swing said links outsuitable form of controller, the handle of.

hollow for the passage of the conductors to the motor B and also for the mainsupply wardly, thereby always tending toyicldingly press the angle pieces or shoes and p against their respective contacts. The posts P are so spaced and the shoes p and p are of such length that the latter, are always-in engagement .withat least one setoi" contacts 11 andypythe ends of said shoes be ing curved inwardly so as to properly engage the variouscontacts as the crane is moved.

Under working conditions, asingle operator standing at the front of the crane and ad jacentto the foot of the'boom, is enabled to intelligently and conveniently govern the op eration of the entire apparatus, since he is not only in position tosee the materialbeing handled and the work doneby a bucket or hoisting device carried by the boom, but can also, without leaving his position, ma'nipu late with but little physical exertion, all of the necessary levers for controlling the dil ferent parts of the apparatus. For example, if it be desired to move the crane as a whole upon its tracks N, the controller handle I) is turned to the right or left, thereby supplying current to the motor B to cause it to operate in one direction or the other, to bodily propel the crane structure. 1 i

If it is desired to operate the motor i, so as to cause it to hoist material suspended from the end of the boom F, the foot piece It is pressed downwardly by the right foot of the operator, thereby actuating the. master controller 9 which in turn supplies current to well known forms of automatic switches (not shown) so that said motor is started and speeded up under predetermined conditions and in a predetermined time, while either one or both of the drums l1 and H may be caused to operate by throwing the lever g in one direction and roperly nianipulating either one or both of t ie levers h" and 71, if it be desired to raise the boom l this may be done by throw-ingthe lever gf'in a direction oppo-- site to that above noted, thereby operating: the clutch 9 while leaving the clutch g" in its released position.

Inorder to s ing the upper portion of the crane stru turr that is, theiranie D with the parts supported thereon, the foot piece is pushed forwardly or to the rear. In the former case such action turns the arm k on shaft K, and thereby moves the handle of the master controller 6 so as to supply current to the motor E and cause it to swing the crane with the boom to the right, while if said foot piece be moved to the rear, the master con troller e is so operated that the direction of rotation of the motor E is reversed and the craneis swung to the left.

It is obvious that, if desired, the foot piece k? may be moved to the front or rear and at the same time pressed downwardly, with the result that the boom is swung to the right or left and simultaneously the bucket or other hoisting device carried by it is elevated. if

it is desired to stop the rotation. .of thescrane structure on pivot, this, may be done by pressing vdown on 'thciicver c5, thereby apply inc; thebrake 13* to the shafts and-p ting or retarding 'iiurther rgitatio rfoif roe .ieveled inion e. r 1

The two sets o the conta t devices are not necessarily employed, sincei. the crane, track be straight throughout its exten-t one set the contact, posts P may be all that is required. lifl'however, there are curves on the crane track it may be iisablc to employ current collcctingidevi es and contact posts, on both sides of the crane.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, a number of banks or bodies oi resistance are required for the control of the current flow to the various motors and these are PI'E iCYEtlOlY mounted in the space :0, Fig. '1, at the rear of the crane structure. Simi larly the automatic resistance controlling switches are mounted in the space a though both the. 2. as well as the resistance have been omitted from the drawings to avoid complications thereoi.

One important advantage possessed by the combination of my improved crane with the contact carrying standards for supplying its electric apparatus with current is due to the .fact that while said standards support their contacts at such a height as to avoid the possibility of ice, snow or water interfering with their functions. there is no liability of accipieces or interierei'ice with the tree operation of the crane, and in addition clear spaces are left between said standards which 'pernjiit the free passage of wens or trucks to all parts of the stock yard in whichthe crane is customarily installed.

The. combination in a crane of a supporting frame, a structure pivotally mounted thereon and provided with a boom, means for a structure pivotaliy niounte thereon and. provided with a boom, hoisting mechanism, a motor for swinging said structure on its pivot, a second motor for operating said oi such contacts devices and a single series i dental short circuits from misplaced metallic swingin saic structure on. its pivot, hoisting;

hoisting mechanism, a controller for each of said motors, and an operating member common to both ofsaid controllers, said, member ates the second controller, substantially as described. l

4. The combination of a sup orting frame, a structure pivotally mounte thereon and provided with a .boom, hoisting mechanism, a 'motor for swinging said structure on its pivot, a second motor for operating said hoisting mechanism, a controller for each of said motors, and an operating member common to both of said controllers, said member being supported so as to be movable in a plurality of lines and havin connections to the controllers so arranged t lat its movement in one line operates one controller, while its movement in either of two other linesactuates the second controller, the controllers being connected to be simultaneously operated by movement of said member in another line or lines, substanti ally as described.

In-testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

. GEORGE E. TITCOMB.

Witnesses WILL A. BARR, Jos. ll. KLEI 

